scholarly journals Assessing the performance of mental health service facilities for meeting patient priorities and health service responsiveness

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 417-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bramesfeld ◽  
C. Stegbauer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Guideline Development ◽  
World Health ◽  
Monitoring Programs ◽  
Mental Health Patients ◽  
Health Service Responsiveness

The World Health Organisation has defined health service responsiveness as one of the key-objectives of health systems. Health service responsiveness relates to the ability to respond to service users’ legitimate expectations on non-medical issues when coming into contact with the services of a healthcare system. It is defined by the areas showing respect for persons and patient orientation. Health service responsiveness is particularly relevant to mental health services, due to the specific vulnerability of mental health patients but also because it matches what mental health patients consider as good quality of care as well as their priorities when seeking healthcare. As (mental) health service responsiveness applies equally to all concerned services it would be suitable as a universal indicator for the quality of services’ performance. However, performance monitoring programs in mental healthcare rarely assess health service performance with respect to meeting patient priorities. This is in part due of patient priorities as an outcome being underrepresented in studies that evaluate service provision. The lack of studies using patient priorities as outcomes transmits into evidence based guidelines and subsequently, into underrepresentation of patient priorities in performance monitoring. Possible ways out of this situation include more intervention studies using patient priorities as outcome, considering evidence from qualitative studies in guideline development and developing performance monitoring programs along the patient pathway and on key-points of relevance for service quality from a patient perspective.

Systematic review of youth mental health service integration research

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Kinchin ◽  
Komla Tsey ◽  
Marion Heyeres ◽  
Yvonne Cadet-James
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Service Integration ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Inclusion Criteria

Quality mental health care is based on the integration of care across organisations and disciplines. The aims of this study were, first, to assess the extent, characteristics and reported outcomes of publications concerned with youth mental health service integration in Australia and internationally; and second, to investigate the study design quality of evaluative interventions and determine whether the studies report on the cost-effectiveness of the integration in order to inform the reform of youth mental health services by Queensland Health. A systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature and a narrative synthesis were undertaken of English language publications from 21 electronic databases. Inclusion criteria were: published 1998–2014 (inclusive); peer-reviewed research; focused on mental health services integration; reported data for youth aged 12–25 years. The methodological quality of evaluative interventions was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies developed by the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP). Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria: one (4%) was classified as a measurement research, 13 (52%) as descriptive, and 11 (44%) as interventions including five (45%) evaluative interventions. Four out of the five evaluative interventions reported positive effects of youth mental health service integration. Particular problems included ambiguity of definitions, absence of economic or cost analyses and insufficient consumer involvement. The methodological quality of the interventions was variable with, on average, a moderate level of selection bias and study design. Despite a slight increase in the number of studies in the last couple of years, there are important gaps in the evidence base for youth mental health service integration processes. The relatively small number of evaluative studies and lack of economic evaluations point to the need for additional research in this important area.

The beginning of a structural reform:Reorganising the front line of a mental health service

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Tobin ◽  
Grances Yeo ◽  
Luxin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Front Line

National and State priorities for mental health services have directed emphasis towards earlyintervention and prevention. One of the key priorities is to ensure that entry to mental healthservices is efficient, effective and accountable. This study describes the process of restructuringthe front line of a large and complex mental health service. Adopting the total qualitymanagement approach, all stakeholders in the service collaboratively developed a single setof protocols and guidelines to achieve standardisation of documentation, assessment of risksand urgency, and to improve the overall quality of the service.

scholarly journals Sub-optimal prescribing in an adult community mental health service: prevalence and determinants

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (07) ◽  
pp. 266-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Meagher ◽  
Maria Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Quality Score ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Prescribing Practice ◽  
Quality Of Prescribing ◽  
Evidence Based Guidelines

Aims and Method To compare prescribing practice in a community mental health service with evidence-based guidelines and identify factors related to sub-optimal prescribing. All current patients (n=640) were assessed regarding six key aspects of prescribing (polypharmacy, high-dose treatment, use of thioridazine/maintenance benzodiazepine/maintenance hypnotic or routine anticholinergic treatment). The relationship of quality of prescribing practice to demographic, illness and service variables was examined by regression analysis. Results Five-hundred and five (79%) patients were receiving psychotropic medication. Of these, 232 (46%) had evidence of sub-optimal prescribing practice. Mean prescribing practice quality score was 0.75 ± 0.99. Maintenance benzodiazepine/ hypnotic (31%) and anticholinergic (30%) use were particularly common. Prescribing practice quality score was higher in those receiving depot antipsychotic treatment (P < 0.01) and in older patients (P < 0.01). Scores were significantly lower in patients whose principal medical contacts were with a consultant rather than a junior doctor (P < 0.001). Clinical Implications Prescribing practices in real-world settings frequently deviate from evidence-based guidelines. The quality of prescribing is related to patient, illness and service variables. In particular, greater contact with consultant staff is linked to better practices. Patients receiving depot antipsychotics are especially liable to less judicious prescribing practice.

scholarly journals Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Learning the hard way’ – adapting long-term IAPT service provision using lessons from past outbreaks

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilian Skilbeck ◽  
Christopher Spanton ◽  
Ian Roylance
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
World Health ◽  
List Type ◽  
Long Term Effects

Abstract Infectious disease outbreaks have occurred sporadically over the centuries. The most significant ones of this century, as reported by the World Health Organization, include the EVD epidemic, SARS pandemic, Swine Flu pandemic and MERS pandemic. The long-term mental health consequences of outbreaks are as profound as physical ones and can last for years post-outbreak. This highlights the need for enhancing the preparedness of pragmatic mental health service provision. Due to its magnitude, the novel COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be the most impactful. Compared with previous outbreaks, COVID-19 has also occurred at higher rates in frontline staff in addition to patients. As COVID-19 is more contagious than earlier outbreaks, there is a need to identify infected people quickly and isolate them and their contacts. This is the current context in which mental health services including IAPT have had to operate. Evidently, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services are a major mental health service provider in the UK that have demonstrated variability in their response to COVID-19. While some IAPT services quickly adapted their existing strengths and resources (e.g. remote working), other services were less prepared. To date, there are no clear unitary guidelines on how IAPT services can use their pre-existing resources to respond to the long-term effects of outbreaks. In light of this, the current paper aims to reflect on the lessons learned from past outbreaks in order to consider how an enhanced remit of IAPT might integrate with other services to meet the long-term needs of patients and staff affected by COVID-19. Key learning aims (1) To understand the development of IAPT within the NHS mental health services. (2) To understand the nature of past outbreaks and COVID-19. (3) To reflect on lessons from past outbreaks in order to understand how IAPT can respond to the long-term effects of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Sub-optimal prescribing in an adult community mental health service: prevalence and determinants

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 266-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Meagher ◽  
Maria Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Quality Score ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Prescribing Practice ◽  
Quality Of Prescribing ◽  
Evidence Based Guidelines

Aims and MethodTo compare prescribing practice in a community mental health service with evidence-based guidelines and identify factors related to sub-optimal prescribing. All current patients (n=640) were assessed regarding six key aspects of prescribing (polypharmacy, high-dose treatment, use of thioridazine/maintenance benzodiazepine/maintenance hypnotic or routine anticholinergic treatment). The relationship of quality of prescribing practice to demographic, illness and service variables was examined by regression analysis.ResultsFive-hundred and five (79%) patients were receiving psychotropic medication. Of these, 232 (46%) had evidence of sub-optimal prescribing practice. Mean prescribing practice quality score was 0.75 ± 0.99. Maintenance benzodiazepine/ hypnotic (31%) and anticholinergic (30%) use were particularly common. Prescribing practice quality score was higher in those receiving depot antipsychotic treatment (P < 0.01) and in older patients (P < 0.01). Scores were significantly lower in patients whose principal medical contacts were with a consultant rather than a junior doctor (P < 0.001).Clinical ImplicationsPrescribing practices in real-world settings frequently deviate from evidence-based guidelines. The quality of prescribing is related to patient, illness and service variables. In particular, greater contact with consultant staff is linked to better practices. Patients receiving depot antipsychotics are especially liable to less judicious prescribing practice.

scholarly journals A PROBE INTO THE CO-CONSTRUCTION MECHANISM OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
JING LIANG
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
University Students ◽  
Service System ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Mental Health Service System ◽  
Specific Implementation ◽  
Health Service System

In the context of the national strategy Healthy China, it is imperative to establish a social mental health service system. Co-construction of universities and medical institutions is an important measure to respond to national policy requirements and improve the quality of psychological services for college students. In order to improve the quality of university students’ mental health, planning and deployment should be made in terms of top-level design and specific implementation plans to maximize the mobilization of resources of colleges and universities and the medical system, so that psychological interventions such as mental health education, psychological consultation, and psychological treatment can be integrated into university students’ mental health service system.

scholarly journals Self-reported health-related quality of life of mental health service users with serious mental illness in New Zealand

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Wheeler ◽  
Brian McKenna ◽  
Dominic Madell ◽  
Jeff Harrison ◽  
Kate Prebble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

INTRODUCTION: Although people with serious mental illness (SMI) have a high prevalence of physical illness, health-related quality of life (HQoL) has not been sufficiently explored. AIM: To explore the self-reported HQoL of mental health service users in New Zealand. METHODS: Responses on the Medical Outcomes Study 36 Item Short Form (SF-36) measure of HQoL from 404 adult mental health service users in a metropolitan district health board area in New Zealand were analysed and compared to a representative sample of the general population. RESULTS: Mental health service users scored significantly lower on all eight domains of the SF-36 than the general population, the largest difference being in the role limitation — emotional domain. DISCUSSION: Being female, younger than 25, obese or overweight, or of New Zealand European/Other ethnicity were associated with poorer functioning on multiple HQoL domains. Future studies should seek to understand the factors contributing to perceptions of HQoL of mental health service users in New Zealand. KEYWORDS: Mental illness; mental health; New Zealand; quality of life; self report

Project “social point”: Partnership of sociality activities of mental health service recipients

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 581-581
Author(s):  
V. Poggi ◽  
R. Ambrosino ◽  
M. Ciambellini ◽  
S. Ferrari ◽  
E. Melati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Mental Disease ◽  
Voluntary Work ◽  
The Social ◽  
Service Recipient

The project “Social Point” deals in promoting integration of Mental Health Service recipients within contexts of social relationship, voluntary work and community activism. The project is still taking place in the district of Modena.AimsAssessment of the effectiveness of the project SP: production of a change in quality of life; development of purposeful relationships out of families and health services; development of Mental Health Service recipients’ awareness of being not only a user of the health service but also a resourceful person; change of method and approach within relationship between Mental Health and community and public services.MethodsAt the beginning and at the end of the integration courses (autumn/winter 2010 and after 6–8 months), both individuals and collectives, every Mental Health Service recipient was asked to fill in a form with socio-demographic characteristics and the WHOQOL-bref. A social network diagram was subsequently drawn.Expected resultsAt the end of the research (September 2010) joining courses directed to the development of social relationship is forecast to improve the quality of life of the recipients, to increment purposeful relationships and to strengthen empowerment of persons with mental disease by promoting a different project of life no more illness-based but resource-based.ConclusionThe study will provide evidences about the performance of the project with regard to the promotion of the social integration of citizens with mental disease in contexts, to the empowerment and to the promotion of processes of social.

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